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Russian 'troll factory' sued for underpayment and labour violations Russian 'troll factory' sued for underpayment and labour violations
(about 1 hour later)
The secretive Russian agency that hires people to write pro-Kremlin propaganda on the web stepped into the public spotlight for the first time on Tuesday as a former employee took it to court.The secretive Russian agency that hires people to write pro-Kremlin propaganda on the web stepped into the public spotlight for the first time on Tuesday as a former employee took it to court.
The Agency for Internet Studies, which runs what has been called a “troll factory” from a nondescript St Petersburg address, is being sued by employee Lyudmila Savchuk for alleged underpayment and various labour violations.The Agency for Internet Studies, which runs what has been called a “troll factory” from a nondescript St Petersburg address, is being sued by employee Lyudmila Savchuk for alleged underpayment and various labour violations.
Savchuk says she was one of many paid to write comments online supporting the policies of Vladimir Putin.Savchuk says she was one of many paid to write comments online supporting the policies of Vladimir Putin.
The agency is now seeking to avoid public scrutiny by offering to compensate her. Yekaterina Nazarova, defending, told the Petrogradsky district court judge the agency was ready to settle with Savchuk, who had asked for a symbolic sum of 10,000 roubles (£118).The agency is now seeking to avoid public scrutiny by offering to compensate her. Yekaterina Nazarova, defending, told the Petrogradsky district court judge the agency was ready to settle with Savchuk, who had asked for a symbolic sum of 10,000 roubles (£118).
Nazarova offered to wire the sum to Savchuk’s account, then quickly left the court without speaking to the press.Nazarova offered to wire the sum to Savchuk’s account, then quickly left the court without speaking to the press.
Savchuk said: “I am very pleased, they pretended they don’t exist at all and now they have come out of the shadows for the first time – we saw their representative. But I will feel that I won only after the troll factory closes completely.”Savchuk said: “I am very pleased, they pretended they don’t exist at all and now they have come out of the shadows for the first time – we saw their representative. But I will feel that I won only after the troll factory closes completely.”
Savchuk says she worked at the agency for two months, but quit in March and has since vowed to expose it.Savchuk says she worked at the agency for two months, but quit in March and has since vowed to expose it.
The agency, located in the north of Russia’s second-largest city, is blamed by observers for doing the Kremlin’s dirty work on the internet, polluting news websites with inflammatory comments and manipulating social networks into blocking anti-Putin bloggers.
The phenomenon has become particularly intense during the conflict in Ukraine, with some reports claiming the agency has expanded into foreign languages, pictures and videos, and is even running its own news sites.
Savchuk’s lawyer. Ivan Pavlov, said the result of Tuesday’s hearing – the second this month after the agency skipped the first – was “unexpected” and he suspected the defendant of trying to escape the public eye.
“I suppose the defendant considers it a lesser evil to recognise the lawsuit and pay compensation,” he said.
Pavlov added that the next step would be a meeting with Savchuk at the agency’s headquarters in July, which he called “another chance to make their activities transparent”.